Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-08-05
ANATURALISTIN MEXICO
SIX WEEKS IN 7HE SADDLE
In Search Of Aztec Treasure.TrOve.--
Some Account of the Country.
BY FREDERICK A. ODER,
Author Of Travels in Mexico Camps In the
Carribees," )" etc.

BY FREDERICK A. OBER
Author Of travels in Mexico" Camps In the |
Carribees,' etc.
CHAPTER vI1.-rHAT GOLDEN BUTTERFLY.
As the chief and took a vesper stroll
among the ruins Of the church, ! took oc-
cason TO ask him, "What luck !" He re-
Piled moodily, eve can tell better when
we find a genuine miner and get the rock
tested"
"Another horrible suspicion Z ," ques-
toned carelessly, making a swoop with my
butterfly net at large humming bird moth
lowering over some purple night flowers.
He nodded his head gloomily.
1T might be better for us if the miner
alogist knew nugget from lump of iron
pyrites, mightn't it =
He nodded again, then said after a pause:
"We1l saddle up TO morrow, and take the
back trail. "
1t was Just before retiring hour, that the
minernlogist recollected a commission he
had received from the governor Of the
state He had been told that the people of
Mainnltepec were made sufferers from
chils and fever, and had brought along 200
quinine pills, enough TO lombard the whole
community. Luckily remembering his
charge, he summoned the preSideHte, early
next morning, and persuaded him to an
nounce to the people that a physician was
amongst them, renowned medicO, who
could cure all their ills, and urged him at
once to trot out all his sick he would cure
them for nothing-for the universal love Of
| God-por FL amor dc Dios.
And so they came rs we were at break
| fast an old woman with IA graveyard
cough, a girl with an incurable ulcer, IA
man with sciatica, another with paralysis
Of one arm, boy with a sore arm but
never one with fever. As he had no med
icine for anything but fever, our physician
acquired no prestige among those people ;
| he was furious, in truth, and denounced
them before their faces as set Of ingrates
becoming Modified only at the very last
when an old, fever smitten man appeared
whom he stuffed 50 full of pills that there
was little danger of his having another
shake this side the other world.
We departed amid the lamentations Of
the people, who were just beginning to ap-
preciate our worth. They would have
given us the PADRES hut as a permanent
position if we would have stayed. But,
though the temptation was strong, we did
not yield 10 the inclination, and slept that
night on the familiar benches Of the house
of Don Augustine, at Quiotepec.
\ cloud hung above us ON the journey
back, though we put on our best faces ; for
we were not only leaving behind us what
had promised to be EiiOrddO, but were
parting forever from genuinely honest
friends, many of whom had crept into our
hearts Don Santos and his horses seemed
the only happy ones, for they were worn
thin with hard work and looked forward
to happy week Of rest at Oaxaca. The
chiefs calls for teguiiid and mescdi exhaust
ed the supply along the route, and it was
i'm detected condition that We rode up t.
the widows door, III lXtlan, one night, and
requested permission TO rest there till morn
ing Her sympathy was unbounded and
she did everything in her power to Hllev
ate our distresses Of mind and body. Sh,
still had faith in the hidden mine, and de
clared that we had been duped, that tn,
Indians had conducted us to the wronl
spot ''Sehores, she said 10 us that even
ing, there is gold there, indeed you mus
return and find it, Rest awhile here, re
cuperate, take with you miner who know
the yellow metal in the vein, and return
Gold has been found there. SehOres,
give you my word In the archives of thi
town is the sworn statement of n Spaniar,
who has visited the place himself Manl
years ago, one of our citizens befriended al
Indian Of Mnlinaltepec, he took him int
the Sierras, blindfolded, aud when they re
turned it was with four bitrrO loads of san,
containing gold. The Spaniard took it t
Mexico, to the capital, and it assayed 81
rich that the government sent squad %
100 cavalry in search of the locality. Bu
the Indian hid himself in the mountains til
they were gone, and the secret still remain
with him. And did tell you of the lndial
Socorro, over here in the next valley VIII,
lived IA lifetime-yes, more than 40 years
on the grains Of gold that the ants thos,
little insects of the earth brought to TIN
surface This is true, my friends, and yol
must 20 10 Socorro and see the gold mine
that were brought TO light by the littl
ants
As Socorro was but a days journey on
of our road, we concluded to pay it visit
and reached it the next noon, travelling
over IA rugged road. The mines were closed
ing the marriage of his son, IA stupid look
ing youth of 20, with a pretty meSti-d o
about L years old. The festivities were Il
their height, and we were cordially invite,
to Join them, an invitation which arouse,
the hitherto lethargic mineraloglst, who IA
once assumed full direction of the wedding
feast Seating himself at the head of the Ia
ble, which fairly creaked under the enormou
load of native dishes, he possessed himsel
of the various kinds of liquors supplied b.
: the generous host, and proposed the health
of all parties interested, much to the as
tonishment of the assembled Indians AM
McstizoS, and TO the disgust of the chic
and myself. Disregarding our wishes an
cautionary kicks under the table, he insist
ed ON drinking IA brindiS tor healthy To tn
munitcent proprietor-whom he had neve
heard of until that huur-then TO the bride
then to the sullen groom, already tips
e from protracted struggles with wine an,
whisky; then followed toasts to the cook
and TO ourselves, all at the suggestion q
A., who shouted, "Brindis, SeHords,
SenOres b,'iHdiS, ," until the last bottle wa
exhausted.
+ At the conclusion those who were nc
g under the table had left it, and A, ilushe
It with victory, linked his arms in ours an
IT. led the way 10 the house, where we ha
Il proposed 10 sleep 1t was nearly midnight
T. the path was quite obscure, several susp
J. cious dogs divided our attention by nil
ping at our heels and occasionally drunk
en- guest of the nuptial feast stumble
against us, so that it was with unstead
nerves that we finally pounded at the fror
door of our host requesting admittanc,
But for the first time in our months {
travel in Mexico, the door was closed to III
r We waited for perhaps half an hour, FIR,
Is quently reminding the inmates Of the hou,
D. of our presence by no means gentle thump
y for there was no other house to 20 to, an
l. we were exceeding weary. At last I'll
Il door was unbolted "What did the Senol
p, wish :" was demanded in a surly tone. III
N chief, swallowing an indignant lump i'll h
throat, gently explained-what in SCOT
needed no explanation, since we had lettel
10 the man from his employer-that "
were shelterless, and dependent upon h
) hospitality for roof and beds. Then Il
man unwillingly opened the door a litt
wider, for us 10 enter but our mineral
gist, with snort of displeasure turned h
back upon the churlish Mexican, and wei
out into the darkness. When found hin
after "a long search, he was doubled up III
der the lee of the cattle-shed, where
proposed staying all night and he swo
that all Mexico should know that SEM
= -- had turned from his door the Amer
Z can travellers who came recommended
his bounty.
r This state of things alarmed the old f.
low for hOsDitalitV to strangers is the fin